Advances in photothermal-driven tumor immunomodulation and synergistic therapy
4 affiliations
- 1School of Basic Medical Science, Guangxi Medical University
- 2Second Clinical Medical School, Guangxi Medical University
- 3Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research; Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center, Guangxi Medical University
- 4School of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University
Abstract
Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a local treatment that uses photothermal conversion agents (PTAs) to absorb light and produce heat in tumor tissue. The direct result is tumor ablation. At the same time, heat-damaged tumor cells may undergo immunogenic cell death (ICD). This process is often accompanied by the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), followed by dendritic cell activation and antigen presentation. Because of this immune effect, PTT has been explored as a partner for immunotherapy. It may be useful in tumors where antigen presentation is weak or where the immune microenvironment is highly suppressive. However, local heating alone usually cannot produce a long-lasting systemic immune response. Its effect on distant metastasis is also limited. For this reason, PTT is now often combined with immune checkpoint blockade, adoptive cell therapy, cancer vaccines, and other immune-based strategies. This review discusses the link between PTT-induced tumor damage and antitumor immune activation. It classifies and compares the structural optimization ideas, optical properties, biological safety, and application limitations of organic and inorganic photothermal materials. It summarizes the six mainstream combination schemes of photothermal therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, tumor vaccines, cytokine therapy, oncolytic virus therapy, and bispecific antibody therapy. It analyzes the synergistic anti-tumor mechanisms and the latest preclinical research progress of various combination strategies. Finally, it sorts out the core bottlenecks that restrict the clinical transformation of photothermal immunotherapy and proposes corresponding optimization development prospects.
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BibTeX
@article{wei2026advances,
title = {{Advances in photothermal-driven tumor immunomodulation and synergistic therapy}},
author = {Xiuyun Wei and Changjiang Mo and Jiacheng Chen and Deli Li and Qinting Wu and Shenxia Xie and Xiaomei Yang},
journal = {Frontiers in Immunology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.1952895},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1952895/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Advances in photothermal-driven tumor immunomodulation and synergistic therapy
AU - Xiuyun Wei
AU - Changjiang Mo
AU - Jiacheng Chen
AU - Deli Li
AU - Qinting Wu
AU - Shenxia Xie
AU - Xiaomei Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Frontiers in Immunology
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1952895
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1952895/full
AB - Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a local treatment that uses photothermal conversion agents (PTAs) to absorb light and produce heat in tumor tissue. The direct result is tumor ablation. At the same time, heat-damaged tumor cells may undergo immunogenic cell death (ICD). This process is often accompanied by the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), followed by dendritic cell activation and antigen presentation. Because of this immune effect, PTT has been explored as a partner for immunotherapy. It may be useful in tumors where antigen presentation is weak or where the immune microenvironment is highly suppressive. However, local heating alone usually cannot produce a long-lasting systemic immune response. Its effect on distant metastasis is also limited. For this reason, PTT is now often combined with immune checkpoint blockade, adoptive cell therapy, cancer vaccines, and other immune-based strategies. This review discusses the link between PTT-induced tumor damage and antitumor immune activation. It classifies and compares the structural optimization ideas, optical properties, biological safety, and application limitations of organic and inorganic photothermal materials. It summarizes the six mainstream combination schemes of photothermal therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, tumor vaccines, cytokine therapy, oncolytic virus therapy, and bispecific antibody therapy. It analyzes the synergistic anti-tumor mechanisms and the latest preclinical research progress of various combination strategies. Finally, it sorts out the core bottlenecks that restrict the clinical transformation of photothermal immunotherapy and proposes corresponding optimization development prospects.
SN - 1664-3224
ER -